Johnson Informed OfTncome Problem
Lyndon B. Johnson
has been informed that decay is
creeping into the dairy Industry
of the Northeast because farm
income is not keeping pace with
the rest of the economy.
In a letter urging immediate
action, John C. York, general
manager of Eastern Milk Pro
ducers Association, pointed out
that dairy farmers are
to help Secretary of Agriculture
Orviile Freeman make an Im
mediate first-hand, personal in
spection of the dairy situation
in the Northeast.
Mr York emphasized that
new ,-egislation is not the an
swer “We have the machinery
to solve this problem without
new legislation all that is
needed is the Will of the Ad
ministration,” he said.
Mr York cited that farm ma
chinery costs since 1959 are up
20%,. farm labor is up 31%, and
all prices paid by dairymen are
up 18%%. Reliable sources of
information indicate that prices
paid by dairy farmers will in
crease by 21% in the next five
year®. He also related how con-
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L. H. Brjubofcer Roy H. Buch, Inc.
Lititz, Pa. Ephrata, R. D. 2
Nissley Farm Service N. G. Myers & Son L. H. Brubaker
Washington Boro, Pa. Rheems, Pa. , , Lancaster, Pa.
sumer* actually enjoyed a 4%
drop in their milk prices over
the past eight years.
He pointed out, "The wave of
rural decay in the Northeast has
been especially noticeable in the
past five years when some 17,-
000 dairymen discontinued dair
ying in the states of New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Vermont. In the past two years
nearly 8,700 dairymen have
gone out of business. It means
that some $l5O million in dairy
income has been affected and
some $435 million in farm fa
cilities have been disrupted,”
he said
Mr. York further noted that
this displacement of dairy in
come is dealing a severe eco
nomic blow to many local areas
in the Northeast. Many local
tax rolls are being affected by
lowered property values from
inactive or vacant farms. Feed
companies, implement dealers,
and other local businesses are
feeling the impact as dairy
farms go out of business.
-The Eastern general manager
reminded that the situation is
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especially serious in New York
where the state's largest indus
try is valued at $4 billion. The
farm value or milk sold exceeds
J'/j billion annually, while more
than s3'/4 billion is invested in
dairy farms and milk plants.
Also cited were the increasing
difficulty of farmers to obtain
veterinarian service since the
trend is for specialization in
small animal practice near ur
ban areas. Doctors are more and
more reluctant to provide serv
ice to rural areas, sometimes
because of difficulty in collect
ing bills, he reminded.
In discussing dollar returns,
Mr. York noted by College of
Agriculture figures that the New
York State dairyman averaged
$1.21 per hour for his own and
family labor last year. He con
trasted that with ownership and
labor in other fields where the
rate per hour is several times
that figure.
"Dairy people do not want
more than the rest of the econ
omy. As in the past they want
to be partners in building a
great nation. They avoid where
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Quarryville, Pa.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16,1968 —
Turkeys Do Better
In Wormer Pens
Cool temperatures in pens can
make a marked difference in
the profits a turkey grower real
izes for a season's work.
Raising turkeys at pen tem
peratures as low as 55 degrees
F. contributes to high mortality
rates and increases condemna
tion by processing plants. Tur-
possible the disorderly demon
stration.
“Consumers need to share
their dollars with producers of
food. The farm price of milk
has not kept pace with the costs
of production, nor with the sev
eral income increases enjoyed
by consumers.
“We reiterate that an escala
tor type formula is needed for
pricing of milk that will gear
fluid milk prices to prevailing
economic conditions in the mar
ket where the milk is produced
and consume d,” he stated.
“Eastern Milk Producers pro
posed last fall that milk pric
ing provisions be amended to
consider the economic factors
of consumer disposable income,
feed and farm labor, and the U.
S Wholesale Commodity Price
Index.”
keys alsu eat more feed, with*
out corresponding weight gains.
An almost across-the-board
improvement resulted at a pen
temperature 66 degrees F., com
pared to 55 degrees F. pen
temperature.
At the warmer temperature,
there were fewer processing
plant condemnations, lower mor
tality, a lower feed conversion
ratio, and higher weight gains.
Based on these findings, speci
fications for turkey housing and
environmental control have been
developed to reduce condemna
tions and aid in keeping disease
free flocks isolated from outside
contamination.
This development is of great
economic importance to Minne
sota, leading U. S. turkey-pro
ducing state, but turkey-produc
ers in a similar environment
will also benefit.
These findings were made by
ARS agricultural engineer W. A.
Junilla in cooperative research
with animal disease and poultry
scientists of the Minnesota Ag
ricultural Experiment Station at
St Paul.
DID YOU KNOW The first
Mother’s Tree, a white birch, a
tribute to the mothers of the
world, was planted m 1923 at
Lake Antietam, near Reading.
(Dept of Forests & Waters)
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